Reply to Travel sports for elementary school kids worth pursuing?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous[b]]It's hard to make a travel team in middle school, though, when you are competing against kids that have had travel experience/instruction for 2-4 years.[/b]

It's not for everyone.  Some people love it.  There are lots of kids that try out for things like travel soccer a year earlier than they are even supposed to.  To each their own.

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This is the problem.  Generally your kid won't make the travel team in late elementary or middle school if they haven't been playing travel since 3rd grade.  If they're not playing travel they also 
won't make their middle or high school teams (should they want to do that). 
Of course there are athletic phenom outliers but it's generally hard to make up for 5 years of intense practice when you're 12 or 13.

I personally think this all stinks but it is what it is. 
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This is actually why I wouldn't have my kid take the travel team path so early.  Either my kid is a great athlete and they'll make the team in middle school or high school when it's the right time and developmentally appropriate.  Or my kid is an average athlete and really why would I want them to spend their whole lives starting from when they're 8 years old playing one sport that they'll mostly never play again after high school.  I'd rather have them learn an instrument or do a wider variety of activities.  Evidence has shown that a lot of these kids get injuries too from overplaying at one sport too young.

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[u][b]Even a great athlete is unlikely to make a middle school team without travel team experience in certain sports, like lax or soccer.
[/b][u][/u]
But it sounds like sports aren't' that important to your kid.  Some kids love the activity, the competition and being on a team.  They are on a travel team because they enjoy it.  If your kid prefers another activity, they should do that.  No guarantee that will continue to do that into adulthood either.  I haven't picked up a clarinet since fifth grade or ballet shoes since sixth.

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Agree it totally depends on the kid - and the family.  But also have come to terms with youth sports are not the same as when I was a kid.  Kids really do specialize earlier and don't have the comparable skills as the other very talented kids as they get older if they aren't getting that training starting in elementary.  If you don't want to deal with it, and want to do more rec or regular level sports, that's a different track.  If you want to give your kid a chance of making a middle or high school team - than it's become the norm.  If you aren't concerned about that, don't worry about it.  [/quote]

+1[/quote]

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